Artificial limb.



M. MICHAILOV.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB- APPLIcATIoN FILED 1AN.2. 1918.

l ,28 l I. 9 l Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

v 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

M. IVIICHAJLOV..

ARTIFICIAL LIIvI.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.2. 1918. 1,281,191. Patented 001;. 8,1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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MITA MICHAJLV, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

ARTIFICIAL 141MB;

Application filed January 2, 1918.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MITA MICHAJLOV, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Limbs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

rI"`his invention relates to artificial limbs, and has for its principal object to provide means for lengthening and shortening the limb to fit different wearers, so thata few sizes may be kept in stock, one of which may be readily adjusted to fit any individual customer.

The invention contemplates the provision of means for lengthening the limb both below and above the knee joint, whereby the individual requirements of each customer may be fully met.. Another object is to conceal the sheaves for the suspension cords on the interior of the artificial limb. Other objects will appear as the description pro.- ceeds.

The invention will be first hereinafter described in connection with the-accompanying drawings, which constitute part of this speci.- lication, and then more speccally defined in the claims at the end of the description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters aroused to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the ankle portion of an artificial limb, showing one form of thev invention adapted to be used when the limb isv of minimum length.

Fig. 2 is a section onv the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of, a modified construction.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the limb lengthened.

Fig. 6 is a detailed View of a modified form of extension device.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the upper portion of the artificial limb fitted with an extension device.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7.

Specification of Letters-Patent.

Patented Oct. 8,1918.

Serial'No; 209,853.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, ofthe'drawings, 1 designates the ankle section of an' artificialv limb which is divided horizontally at 2 into an upper portion 3 and lower portion 4. l Said portions 3 and 4 are provided with registering dove-tailed transverse grooves 5 and 6- in their meeting faces, Aandr are held together by locking strips 7 which are dove-tailed to fit said grooves 5 and 6. The dove-tailed strips 7 are retained in place by pins 8 passed through the limb preferably at right angles tol said' strips 7. These strips are further retained by the rods 9 which extend up through the bottom of the limb for connecting th'e foot thereto, said rods 9 being passed throughthe dove-tailed'strips 7. Other rods 90are connected to the rods 9 by a universal joint `91, whereby the foot 92 is swiveled to the ankle section of the limb, as illustrated in Fig. 1. As illustrated in Figs, 1 andi2, there are two of the dove-tailed stripsy 7 used tocorrespond with a U-shaped connecting rod having two-upwardly extending arms or rods 9. If the artificial limb has a single rod for connectingv the foot thereto, as at 10 inl Figs. 3 and 4, only one of the dove-tailed strips-7 is used. Otherwise, the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is the samefas that illustrated in- Figs. 1 and 2.

Thelimbs shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, may be called stock limbs because they are of theminimum length. When it is desired to lengthen the limb, an extension piece 11, Fig. 5, is substituted for the dove-tailed strips 7, and' is held in place in the same manner asalready described in connection with said strips. The extension piece 11 hasia bodyv portion 12v of any desired thickness, say from' of an inch to several inches, which fits between and spaces apart the portions 3 and 4 of the limb. On the upper and lower faces of said body portion 12 there are dove-tailed projections 13 which lit the grooves 5 and 6 in said portions 3 and 4.l It will thus be seen that by varying the thickness of the body portion 12 of the extension piece 11, the ankle portion of the limb may be lengthened to any desired eX- tent. When the form of limb shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is used, the extension piece is provided with a single dove-tailed projection 13 on each of its upper and lower faces, as shown at 14 in Fig. 6. In Fig. 5 two projections 13 are shown on each face of the extension piece to correspond with the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings, 15 designates the upper end of the ankle section the lower end of which is shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5. This portion 15 is hinged to the knee cap 16 by means of metal straps 17 riveted at 18 to the part 15, and other metal straps 19 riveted at 20 to the knee cap 16, said straps 17 and 19 being swiveled together by means of a cross-pin 21. The knee cap 16 is made separate from the upper portion 22 of the limb usually known as the socket member, and between said parts a lengthening or extension piece 23 of any desired thickness may be placed for increasing the length of the limb above the knee joint. The extension piece 23 and socket member 22 are retained in proper relative position with respect to the knee cap 16 by the straps. 19 which are prefer-v ably dove-tailed in cross section and fit in correspondingly shaped Grooves 24: and 25 in channel pieces 26 and 27 inset in the sides of the extension piece and socket member, respectively. Said parts may be further retained in proper relative position by strips 28 secured at 29 to the inner surface of the knee cap 16, as shown in Fig. 9, and fitted in grooves 3G and 31 in channelpieces 32 and 33, respectively, inset in the inner surface of the extension piece 23 and socket member 22 at diametrically opposite points.

and between the straps 19, as illustrated in Fig. 8.

The extension piece 23 and socket member 22 are prevented from separating along the'y Figs. 7 and 9, where they are out of the way and do not form lumps on the outside of the limb, as in previous constructions. 1t should be understood that the strips or straps used for retaining the upper portions of the limb and the extension piece in proper relation may be arranged all on the outside or all on the inside, aswell asV part on the inside and part on the outside as shown in Fig. 8. Other detail changes may also be made in the construction herein illustrated and described without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure byv Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination with an artificial limb divided transversely into two parts, each having a dove-tailed groove, of a dovetailed connecting piece iitted in said grooves, and means for retaining said connecting piece in place. y

2. rIhe combinationwith an artificial limb` divided transversely into two parts, having grooves in their facing surfaces, of an eX- tension piece arranged between said parts and having projections on its opposite faces to interlock with said grooves.

3. rllhe combination with an artificial limb divided transversely into two parts of straps connected to one part and extending along the. other part, said other part havingv grooves to iit around said straps, and an eX- tension piecev arranged between the parts of the limb and also having groovesto iit around said straps.

4. The combination with an artificial limb divided transverselyinto two parts, of straps constituting part of the knee joint and at.

tached tov the lower part of the limb, the upper part having grooves to fit around said straps, and an extension piece arranged between said parts and also having grooves to fit around said straps. Y

5. The combination with an artificial limb comprising upper and lower portions con-l nected by a knee joint, the upper portion having cavities therein, ofstraps constituting part of the knee'joint and over-lying said cavities, sheaves mounted on said straps and housed in said `cavities and suspension cords passed around said sheaves.

6. The combination with an artificial limb divided transversely into two parts, of an extension piece arranged between said parts, means for retaining said parts and extension piece in alinement, and suspension cords attached to the lower part for retaining saidparts and extension piece in contact with each other in use.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication.

MITA MIoHAJLov.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

